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As the weather in Orkney has been so idyllic, I’ve been out with my camera for many, many hours, including sitting on …
the natural history of Westray
As the weather in Orkney has been so idyllic, I’ve been out with my camera for many, many hours, including sitting on …
Calling a plant as wonderful as this Potentilla a weed seems deeply unfair, but that’s botany for you. The underside of the …
I’ve taken to walking the Westside of Westray. Yes, I’ve been taking a Walk on the Westside. The glorious weather has meant …
This Atlantic Puffin has come to rest on the low, grassy cliffs, where its burrow faces the North Sea. It flaps its …
This Rock Pipit on the coast of Westray reminds me… I must plump up my duvet when I make my bed.
I can’t resist their orange good looks. Birds with red plumage have enhanced vision in the red of the spectrum. I wonder …
Black Guillemots like to display their fish on the cliffs. It would be a shame not to spend some time appreciating their …
Whenever there’s a Great Black Backed Gull flying past I just can’t resist taking a portrait. I love their faces. Am I …
The go-faster stripes on this Great Skua are very distinctive. They’re very Starsky & Hutch and their 1976 Ford Gran Torino.
We’ve been out with the Arctic Terns this evening and I’ve loved seeing their behaviour. They interact with all the other bird …
Waders. They’re either nearly invisible, clad in the most extreme camouflage possible, or they’re Oystercatchers. This Oystercatcher was attempting to get my …
Many birds have short and difficult lives. Every day is a struggle to find food and shelter, find a mate, raise a …
I love our trips out to see the Tysties – the Black Guillemots – on Westray. They seem to enjoy sitting on …
Oystercatchers are a noisy fact of life here on Westray. There’s not a spot of coastline which isn’t guarded by some zealous …
The Orkney name for Ringed Plover is Sandy Laverock. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful bird. They appear to be always …
Bonxie is the name for the Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, here in Orkney. It’s the Norse name for them. If you’ve ever …
A walk up the west coast of Westray revealed several pairs of Wheatear, which are very active at the moment. They’re exceptionally …
I’m at least a mile away from the Arctic Tern colony here when one passes overhead. It’s clearly not found enough to …
We spent an amazing evening with the Scootie Allans of Westray. Arctic Skuas are beautiful, impressive birds, with sleek bodies and swept-back …
An evening walk in the warm, low sun and there is a pair of Skylarks in the field. They’re difficult to get …
The Fulmars on Westray are littering the coast with their ungainly earthly forms, as well as flying effortlessly along the cliffs with …
Twite are such beautiful birds. Their subtlety is exceptional, with the softness of their stripes and the paleness of their beaks. It’s …
A Scootie Allan attacking a Mallimack. An Arctic Skua attacking a Fulmar. A Stercorarius parasiticus attacking a Fulmarus glacialis. Dramatic, isn’t it, in …
I loved seeing this male Linnet perching on the wind-burnt twigs in the garden of Einar this summer. He’s a beautiful sight …
Have you ever looked at a photograph and seen something in it which you didn’t see at the time you took it? …
Each year at Einar, the Linnets build their nests and raise their chicks. It takes two weeks from laying to hatching and …
It’s always a delight to see a Wheatear. They’re quite incredible in their capacity to migrate. They can travel many thousands of …
I’m climbing down the shallow cliffs to the sea to take photographs of Puffins in flight when I hear the usual pipping …
Here’s a small collection of some of my previously unposted Puffin shots from this summer. Little sweetheart: Don’t look now, but I …
It’s a dramatic evening, already quite dark, yet this Fulmar is still flying. The sun is lighting up the high clouds with …